By Joshua Archer
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Cary Medical Center will be renovating their Specialty Clinic, which offers oncology, infusion and various other services, to make room for their new state-of-the-art Jefferson Cary Cancer Center.
At the core of the new Cancer Center will be a rigorous program that sees cancer patients and helps navigate them from diagnosis to survivorship, according to Shawn Anderson, Cary’s chief operating officer.
Dr. Allan Espinosa
Dr. Nadia Rajack
“It’s important to have a vibrant oncology service,” Anderson said. “This is step one to further expansion going forward.”
The long-term vision for the Cancer Center is to someday have a facility where Cary’s two full-time oncologists Dr. Allan Espinosa and Dr. Nadia Rajack, can provide the necessary care for their patients with the hope of making the Center a home for research and clinical trials.
“We’ve included patient and employee comments from their oncology experiences in the plans for the Center,” Anderson said. The design for patient space will have privacy and comfort in mind: cubicles, half-walls, beds, window seating and room for family members. “There will also be a personalized approach to communication and entertainment,” Anderson said.
If everything goes according to plan the Center “could help patients locally and prevent sending them away,” Regen Gallagher, Cary’s chief medical officer, said. “The Cancer Center doesn’t just help Cary it improves the well being of the region.”
The total project cost for the Center is $300,000 and is expected to begin construction this week, and take five to six weeks to complete. Cary is keeping project construction local by employing Caribou business J.P. Martin and Sons.
Gallagher said the staff at Cary create a culture of compassion and when the moment a patient checks in they’re treated by a staff that’s phenomenal and committed to patient care.
